Washington Times reports on an interview with Ken Melhman, the incoming RNC chairman. He says that he wants to institgutionalize the grass-roots focus that worled so well in the last campaign. Mehlman: "We have an extraordinary opportunity — an opportunity that we as a party haven’t had in a generation — where we simultaneously have an ideologically conservative majority and an operationally conservative majority. And that’s what we didn’t have before." He’s right, and I can’t think of a better guy to take advantage of the opportunity (which he himself set up!). Go to it.
"At the end of the day, love beat money,"
What a great quote. It so perfectly fits the differences between the two campaigns. Kerry supporters were motivated by hate for Bush, and the prominent ones spent tons of their own money to defeat him.
Republicans, on the other hand, were motivated by sheer optimism. We could not wait to vote for Bush. And talking about it was contagious.
Every Republican volunteer director around the country should be contacting the 2004 volunteers now. One, with a thank-you note, personalized if possible. Two, to get them involved in something else NOW: Petition drives, voter registration at naturalization ceremonies, showing up at city council and school board meetings, redressing the liberal slant in letters to the editor, supporting a local college or high school Republican/conservative club. There are many possibilities. The point is: DO something with these people. Don’t let them lapse back into the usual Republican kick-me torpor!
Gary,
While you maybe right that a lot of Democrats and liberals voted for Kerry because they "hated" Bush’s Administration, I’ve talked to several voters who voted for Bush because they hated being told how to vote by actors, musicians, and other celebrities. That number is probably a lot lower than the amount of voters voting against Bush. But I don’t think that every person (even Republicans) who voted for Bush did it with "sheer optimism" and "couldn’t wait". Just at thought . . .